Dahlia
Dahlia Valehart
I felt my heart sink as the total votes were announced. Eyes darted towards my direction, snickers blaring through the crowd as I stared at the board with my name boldly written on it.
Goddess please, this can't be happening.
A hand on my shoulder snapped me out of my spiraling thoughts. I turned to see Mira; My only friend. Her pale face made me realize the weight of my misery.
She gave my shoulder a rub as she spoke, her voice wavering, "It's going to be okay."
Her voice betrayed the truth. Even she knew how big of a deal this was.
I swallowed hard, my throat dry. "I'm scared."
This had to be the worst possible way to celebrate New Year's Eve--caught in some twisted game of chasing the bait. It was a school ritual that many dreaded but played anyway.
At that moment, I regretted not coming up with a worthy excuse to miss the games... but skipping would guarantee a year of more misery.
As a freshman at Crimsonfang College, this was my first game… and I desperately hoped it would be my last. Because right there, I wished a lightning bolt would strike me dead on the spot.
The rules of the game were simple; The girls and guys were divided into groups. Each group had to vote out a bait-- someone weak, expendable. Then the hunt would begin. To make things more challenging, each group was split into defenders and offenders.
The defenders were tasked with protecting their bait, while the offenders targeted the enemy's bait.
If the bait got caught, they'd be a slave to the leaders of their opposing group for a year. And these leaders weren't just anyone…
They were the Thornvalle Alphas—the most ruthless guys not just in college, but in the entire pack.
With a runaway mother and a late father branded as a national traitor, I was an outcast. To make matters worse, I didn't have my wolf.
Everyone hated my guts. But the Thornvalle Alphas loathed my bane of existence… for some reason, I don't particularly know of. When I got into junior high, they were in senior high school. They found a way to make my life a living hell. They never did the bullying directly, but they made others do their bidding, putting a bounty on me as the most worthless and vulnerable child.
It shouldn't have been surprising I was picked as bait.
"Just kill me now," I said defeatedly, my shoulders slumping in defeat.
"I promise you'll be fine. I'll be part of the defenders," Mira tried to cheer me up, but honestly, it was pointless. I knew I was done for.
"They hate me… and now they finally have the chance to make my life more miserable," I rubbed my arms as a sudden chill crept over me, "They'll stop at nothing to catch me."
"I won't let them… Let's be optimistic."
Typical Mira—always seeing the light at the tunnel end even when it's blocked with a boulder.
"What's taking so long?"
I rolled my eyes as I recognized her voice— Astrid. Your cliche mean girl.
"Let's get this game over." Astrid chimed in, her smile wide and devilish, delighted in my misery. I swear, it made her glow.
"She can't shift! How do you expect her to outrun a literal army of wolves?" Mira snapped, having my back as usual.
Astrid shrugged. "Not my fault she's useless." She added with an evil cackle and walked to the starting line.
"Everyone in positions!"
I released a deep breath, feeling the cool wind brush my skin.
The ear-splitting sound of bones snapping cracked through the air as everyone shifted into their wolves. Despite the stares, I still felt stalked.
My gaze swept the crowd until it landed on three massive black wolves. Their fangs were bared, their menacing eyes locked on me unwavering.
Chills ran down my spine. It was them.
They were the largest darkest wolves, their aura commanding attention.
I said a silent prayer and looked towards the swarm of trees and thick bushes ahead. The baits were given a two-minute headstart, and that didn't make me feel any better.
Anxiety coiled in my gut like a slithering snake.
Bang!
The moment the gun popped, my feet moved quickly. Time blurred as I ran through the thick woods, the ground shaking beneath me.
I sprinted through the trees, my heart pounding in my chest, not daring to glance over my shoulder. The sound of wolves closing in echoed through the forest, and panic swept through me.
A brief sense of relief washed over me when I felt the familiar brush of Mira's fur against my side, as she ran by my side.
Suddenly, a sharp impact to my side sent me crashing to the ground.
What was that?!
I scrambled to get up and locked my gaze with the wolf responsible. Astrid.
Mira rushed to Astrid, her teeth bared in a protective snarl, but two female wolves barreled into her, knocking her off course.
The realization hit me like a cold wave.
No one was defending me… This was a set-up.
Panic surged through me but I didn't hesitate. I veered to the left, running deeper into the dense woods. The sound of pounding footsteps echoed, the wolves closing in on me. I pushed my body to its limit, my lungs burning and my muscles aching as the wind brushed through me.
I couldn't let myself get caught.
Suddenly, I felt a dark menacing presence encircle me, making the hairs on the back of my neck stand in alert.
To my horror, two black wolves emerged from the shadows and flanked at my side.
I recognized them instantly, and my stomach churned as my blood ran cold.
The Thornvalles.
Panic surged through me and adrenaline rushed through me, blood pumping through my veins as I ran as fast as I could. They chased after me relentlessly, their snarls cutting through the air.
I suddenly took a sharp turn to the left, then cut left, to distort them. It worked for a fleeting moment—but only briefly.
I slammed into something solid.
The impact sent me flying through the air. Time seemed to stretch before I crashed to the ground. Pain exploded through me as skim scraped the rough ground and debris.
A sharp rock caught my knee and I screamed in agony. I clutched my bruised knee and looked behind me to see the reason I fell and my eyes widened.
The third wolf.
He approached me, his presence commanding a dark authority. Its blue eyes bore into mine and terror surged through me. Quickly, I tried to get up and run but its claw struck my heels. I bit back a choked sob as searing pain threatened to overwhelm me. The two other wolves pranced around me, encircling their prey and ready to devour.
Get up! Dahlia, It doesn't have to end this way.
Biting down hard on my tongue to dull out the pain in my heel, I dug my fingers into the dirt and crawled away. When its claws released me, a burst of energy washed over me.I surged to my feet and ran, ignoring the pain and blood trickling down my legs.
But they were faster.
One wolf pounced on me, sending me crashing face-first to the ground. I gasped as the air was knocked from my lungs. The others surrounded me, their fangs bared in mockery, their eyes taunting.
"Let me go!" I cried out but I knew that was the last thing they'd do.
The three wolves shifted into their human form, and my gut wrenched in horror.
Rhydian, Tavian, and Kayden stared back at me.
"This isn't a fair game!" i cried out, wincing from the jolts of pain shooting through me, "I was set up."
Rhydian walked close to me and gripped my jaw in a tight grip, forcing me to meet his piercing gaze.
"Set up or not… you belong to us now." his voice was low and lethal.
Kayden smirked as he crossed his arms, "One year with us, little wolf… Just enough to break you," he said, his tone mocking.
Tavian stood behind the rest, his eyes darkened. "Pray all you want… no one is coming to your rescue."
I swallowed down the thick lump in my throat as my heart thudded repeatedly like a drum.
In that moment, I longed for death but a crueler fate awaited me... I was a slave to my greatest enemies.
I always wondered if my life could get any worse... and then, it did.